越来越 (more and more)

• Pinyin: yuèláiyuè
• Formation: Subject + 越来越 + Verb/Adj. + 了
• Hanzi breakdown: 越 = 走 (walk) + 戉 (broad-axe)

Meaning

The pattern '越来越 + Adjective/Verb' expresses a gradual increase or progression over time, equivalent to 'more and more' in English. It indicates that a situation is continuously developing in one direction.

Unlike the '越 A 越 B' pattern which links two parallel changes, 越来越 focuses on a single quality or action that is progressively intensifying. It is one of the most frequently used degree expressions in everyday Chinese. The sentence often ends with 了 to indicate the change of state. 越来越 can be followed by either an adjective (越来越冷) or a verb phrase (越来越喜欢). It works in both positive and negative contexts — you can say 越来越好 or 越来越差. The pattern is neutral in register and used equally in spoken and written Chinese.

Examples

1. 春天到了，天气越来越暖和了。 Spring has arrived, and the weather is getting warmer and warmer.
2. 他的中文越来越流利了。 His Chinese is getting more and more fluent.
3. 城市里的车越来越多了。 There are more and more cars in the city.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 我们的生活越来越好了。
• 这个城市越来越现代化了。
• 她的画越来越有风格了。
• 弟弟越来越懂事了。

Don't Say

• 天气越来越很冷了。(Do not use 很 with 越来越 — 越来越 already expresses increasing degree) → 天气越来越冷了。
• 他越来越不高兴。(When expressing a negative change, 了 should still be added at the end to mark the change of state) → 他越来越不高兴了。
• 我们越来越越喜欢这里了。(Do not repeat 越 — the correct form is 越来越, not 越来越越) → 我们越来越喜欢这里了。

Origin & History

This pattern combines 越 (surpassing) with 来 (coming), literally suggesting a quality that keeps coming to exceed itself. It became a standard expression for gradual change in modern Mandarin.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal